A green point-of-view

Designer: Lisa Kauffman Tharp : Window Treatments: Acorn Interiors

Photo by Eric Roth: Design New England Magazine Jan./Feb. 2012 p.82

Have you seen the latest issue of Design New England Magazine? This lovely space designed by Concord, Massachusetts designer Lisa Kauffman Tharp was featured inside, plus the equally gorgeous bath from this eco-friendly home made the cover.

Lisa, an expert on incorporating green choices into her interior designs, was one of our eco-links in the April issue of New England Finery Magazine. She was actually brought to my attention by Paula Bakies of Acorn Interiors, who has done window treatments for my own design projects. Paula did the treatments in the above photo. I love the clean, quiet, textured look of the space.

Enjoy reading the entire article by clicking here. 

Refreshing a Master Bedroom

AFTER: soft spring green combines with plum, yellow, white
and gray to create a fresh color palette for a master bedroom.

Recently I made it back to check on the end result of a
decorating project that I planned for one of my clients.

Her decorating goal was to freshen up her master
bedroom by painting the walls, adding fabrics in cheerful colors, and at the same time improve the layout while reusing the existing furniture.
I was happy to help!

Here is the before shot of the room: lots of traditional fabrics in neutral colors – black and white toile combined with a tan plaid and medium sized check – nice enough, but she was tired of the look. Accessories seemed to be all in the same color resulting in little to no contrast. The gray walls seemed drab next to the warm color of the furnishings, and the decorative painting over the arched window and doorways did not help to create a sense of calm in this area of rest.

First we addressed the layout. By rotating the bed to the left-hand wall in front of the smallest window, we were able to open up the room considerably. The pair of chairs with ottomans were moved over to the corner making a more intimate seating area positioned by the window for natural light. We moved the television onto a corner unit stand that could now be viewed both from the chairs or from the bed. Two dressers and a favorite curio cabinet also were repositioned along walls more suited to their sizes.



BEFORE: This corner was under-utilized
and the view outside the window was not
as good as the blocked view outside the
palladian window behind the bed.

AFTER: Switching the bed to this side opens
up the space while being much cozier.

In the end, only a handful of new pieces were added to the room including a shapely pair of lamps with the perfect colored shade that I found at HomeGoods, a white ceramic garden stool was brought in to add shine and contrast to the warm woods, and the TV stand is also new (sorry, I did not get a shot of it). Items that were taken out included a basket collection, a small painted table, and the candlestick lamps with toile shades. We also incorporated some larger more graphic works of art on the walls to replace the many small framed prints that we edited out.

During the process, I gave my client a few different options on fabric choices and I was glad she chose this modern twist on traditional. By using a confident mix of bold patterns with predominantly solid fabric choices the end result still has personality, but in a more subdued way. I was also happy to see her “go green” by re-dressing her existing furnishings instead of completely starting over, creating a new look
while honoring pieces collected over time.

Green Decorating 101/Design Show Sneak Peek

This piece will be transformed for my room at
the North Shore Design Show: Favorite Spaces
at the Wenham Museum, May 15th – 22nd

When I was little, my mom would take us out to search for discarded treasures on the side of the road on “junk days” when it was okay to put large, bulky items (like old pieces of furniture) out for trash collection. Well we did a lot of collecting of our own ... hunting for “that piece is still good!” items before they made it to the landfills. I can still remember when we found an antique student desk on one of our excursions. We could barely fit it in the back of the station wagon (especially with five kids in tow!) but we managed to get it home and it was mine! I did a lot of writing and drawing on that desk. It is now the inspiration piece for my designed space at the Wenham Museum (come see it at the show!) To this day, I still cannot leave a decent chair on the side of the road or pass up on an offer from a friend who might ask, “Do you want this? Maybe you can do something with it?” like the small sewing cabinet shown above, generously donated to my creative cause by my neighbor. I have already begun to glam it up for the show to look something like this gorgeous writing desk that I saw at the Grange showroom at the Boston Design Center ...

See more items from Grange
in their Winter 2010 Look Book

I plan to display lots of other tips on recycling time-worn pieces in an effort to “be green,” hoping to inspire visitors to take a second look at still useful items before discarding them, while showing that
what is old can be new again.

Happy Earth Day!
xo yvonne

A gift for The Stevens Estate

Stevens Estate design update:
new window treatments

I am sure you have heard – or maybe even spoken – the words “listen to your mother!” Well, one day while we were talking on the phone, my mom casually mentioned that my aunt had several boxes of drapery panels and sheers that she had put in storage after a recent move, “I think they would look nice at The Stevens Estate. Why don’t you give Auntie Marty a call?” I am always happy when my mom tells me that she has read something on my blog (or if anyone tells me they have been reading for that matter!) so when she offers me advice on design projects I always listen. And in this case, especially, I am so glad that I did!

My aunt generously donated the beautiful draperies and sheers (thank you!) seen in the photo above, which were a perfect match to the work we had recently done for the Estate. A special thank you also goes to Paula Bakies of Acorn Interiors for professionally re-sizing them, along with providing expert installation.

Here is a visual reminder of the Stevens Estate inglenook before we began redecorating. Under the new direction of Estate manager Laura Gifford, the redecorating has begun to reflect the historic elegance of this stately North Andover mansion that may be rented for small, intimate parties or large gatherings including weddings, conferences and fundraisers.

BEFORE: The view to the grounds
was blocked with ill-fitting sheers.


AFTER: Properly dressed, the inglenook – which
is at the front entrance of the Estate – now
provides visitors with an appropriate welcome.



Another gift: I added this newly framed print of an original architectural rendering of the Estate (Hartwell & Richardson, 1889) that I discovered online to the shelves flanking the window seat. I also brought over a box of old books that my mom had in storage (are you sensing a “we-don’t-throw-anything-away-in-this-family” trend here?) to help fill up the shelves. Attention to details – plus good old-fashioned recycling – makes a world of difference!


These two chairs from the Stevens Estate are
scheduled to receive the next makeover.

Check back soon ...


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Design deja vu ... the printed word recycled

HOT OFF THE PRESS:
Project Runway recycles!

Designed by Epperson
Modeled by Matar Cohen

I am glad to see that Tim Gunn and the producers of Lifetime’s Project Runway Season 6 are on the same recycling page as me ... check out my post from Wednesday of this week. Here are a few more of my favorite headline worthy designs from Thursday night’s competition. So if you don’t have thing to wear ...

– Challenge Winner –
Designed by Irina Shabayeva
Modeled by Kalyn Hemphill

Designed by Christopher Straub
Modeled by Katie Sticksel


Designed by Ra’mon-Lawrence Coleman
Modeled by Vanessa Fitzgerald

all images from Project Runway on MyLifetime.com

I SPY ... the printed word recycled

Spotted this week at my local HomeGoods:
eye-catching containers fashioned out of recycled magazines
that would look very cool on a desk in a home office.

I have been clearing the clutter from the 2nd floor space above my garage this week. Basically, it is a storage area gone wild ... full of toys, books, seasonal clothing, furniture found on the side of the road to be transformed (when???) into something beautiful, and TONS OF DESIGN MAGAZINES! While I can never part with a good magazine (I seriously have a problem letting my little photo-filled friends go!) I did run across a couple of sites that feature printed materials repurposed for decorative use.



Recycled Magazine Round Wall Mirror
by Linon available online at
mirrorsource.com


Eco-Weekender Recycled Market Bag
These totes made from recycled rice and feed bags lined with cotton, are a green-fashion-statement and a real steal at $25.00 each
greenergrassdesign.com
I love this site! xoxo




Recycled Newspaper Market Bag
from uncommongoods.com

A little pricey at $52.00 each, but they remind me of how my mom always wrapped our birthday gifts with the comic section of the Sunday paper. She still wraps gifts in this offbeat way, using the front of a card, magazine spreads and even junk mail (stickers and gift cards from charities, it all gets put to use)! I wish I had a photo of the refrigerator that she decoupaged when I was little. It was AMAZING. She covered the entire front of a vintage fridge with magazine clippings and then shellaced the entire collage. Hmm, I might just have an idea for those magazines I have been saving after all!



In the meantime, I discovered a worn-to-bits, but much-loved copy of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak in a box of books that I had put away. I surprised my boys by framing a page for their bedroom (of course then they wanted to read the whole story -- minus one page -- oops!). Luckily, the movie version of this story is being released in just a few weeks. 6 (recyclable) tickets please!

Find a way to recycle your magazines
and this post (forward to a friend!)

From shabby-to-chic

Don’t put that old sofa out on the curb!

While the structure of this “first couch we bought together” was still sound, it had definitely seen better days. The fabric was looking tired ... and I was so tired of looking at it.

With a neutral-colored solid fabric, and a more tailored skirt, this 1990’s sofa from Drexel-Heritage is reinvented into a piece you might find at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. The ottoman got newly styled as well.

With a classic shape like this track arm shelter sofa, it’s easy – and affordable – to make the old look new. And one less sofa in the landfills is always a good thing.

Shannon Sofa available through Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams